What's happened
The United States charges Russian banker Andrei Kostin and two U.S.-based associates for violating sanctions by funding his luxury property.
Why it matters
The charges are part of a series of actions against Russian businessmen and their facilitators, timed to coincide with the two-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, demonstrating ongoing efforts to enforce economic restrictions on Russia and its billionaires.
What the papers say
The Moscow Times emphasizes the involvement of Russian banking tycoon Andrei Kostin and the severity of the charges, while AP News and The Independent focus on the broader context of the charges and the message being sent to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
How we got here
The charges come as part of ongoing efforts to enforce economic restrictions on Russia and its billionaires, timed to coincide with the two-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
More on these topics
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Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country located in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Covering an area of 17,125,200 square kilometres, it is the largest country in the world by area, spanning more than one-eighth of the Earth's in
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The United States of America, commonly known as the United States or America, is a country mostly located in central North America, between Canada and Mexico.
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Andrey Leonidovich Kostin is a Russian banker, financier, public and political figure, candidate of economic sciences, president and chairman of the VTB Management board since June 10, 2002.
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The United States Department of Justice, also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice in the United States, and is equivale
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Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, previously holding the position from 1999 until 2008.